Jack



March 1( 1931. G. E. WEAVER ETAL JACK Filed may 2a, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheetl i v WE E I/10611516 )pmw Z 7 G. E. WEAVER E'I'AL JACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Fi led May 26. 1928 g QNAWL Patented Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED TATES P ATE NT F ICE GAILARD E, WEAVER AND ALBERT 'J'. VETTEL, 0FSPRINGFIELD,ILI1INOIS, AS SIGNORS TO WEAVER-MANUFACTURING--COI4IPANY,-OFSPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A CORPO- RATION OF ILLINOIS JACK Applicationfiled. May 26, 1928. Serial No.280,812.

Our invention pertains to or concerns jacks, or' load raising andlowering appliances, such asare commonlyused in garages and elsewhere inconnection with inotor-vehicles, its leading aim and object being theprovision ofimproved and novel means for controlling the pawls or dogs,or their equivalents, of the elevating and lowering ratchet-mechanismand for raising the loadengaging member or saddle quickly initiallywithout resort or recourse to the slower, but more powerful,step-by-step ratchet-mechanism.

To permit those acquainted with this industry t'o completelyunderstan'd'the invention, a present,desirable embodiment of the samehas been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification, and throughout the Views of whichidentical'reference numerals have been used to designate the same partsof the mechanism.

In the drawings,

Fig.1 is a longitudinal section through theimproved jack just inside ofone of the side membersof the frame, on line 11 of Fig. 2, the parts ofthe appliance being shown in condition for raising the load-engagingsaddle intermittently by the pawl and ratchet mechanism;

Fig. 2iis abroken plan view of the complete construction Fig.3 is a Viewsimilar to Fig. 1, illustrating the load-saddle during its quick,preliminary elevating action; and p Fig. tis a view similarto Fig. 1,showing the parts in condition for lowering the load step by step.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that the improvedand noveljack comprises a suitable frame including two side elements 11, 11suitably spaced apart, the forward end of the frame being equipped witha transverse aXle12 supplied with suitable carrying-wheels 13. '13adapted to roll on the floor or ground, the-other ends of such sideframe members having feet 14 designed to rest on theground during theload raising and lowering operation'and to be raised so that the jack asa whole may be wheeled members, and such handle is'located below a pairof lugs 26, 26 extended inwardly or toward, and in registerwith, oneanother, so 'that'when thehandle is rocked up or lifted an unusual orexcessiveamount, it will contact with the under sides ofsuch'projections and'ra'ise th'e fee't 14' of the frame off of thefloor, thus permitting'the jack to'be rolled away on its wheels 13,13 asinay be'required and permitting its ready application in proper positionpreliminary to the loadelevating operation.

Near its'fulcrumed end, handle 2e has a depending extension or bracket2? to which a lifting power pawl or dog 28, adapted to cooperate withthe teeth or notches of the ratchet-sector, "is fulcrumed at 29, thepawl being normally pulled up toits workby a coiled spring 31 fastenedat one endto the handle, at 32, and securedat its other end to a shorttail 33 of the pawl.

As is customary in structures of'this general character, a second,locking or holding pawl or dog 34, also designed and arranged toc'oactwith the ratchet- 'sectonis hinged on theframe at 35, and is pulled uptoits work by a coiled spring 36 connected thereto and to thejack-frame inany appropriate or con venient manner.

In order that the pair of pawls may be caused to operate in the intendedmanner to perform their usual functions, a suitablyshaped cam 37 ishinged or fulcrum'ed at 38 on the inner side of one of the framepartsll, such cam having an upstanding projection 0r finger 39,and'thetwo pawls have lateral or side pins 41 and 42, respectively,below the lower, cam-edge'surface-of the part 37.

Cir

A bell-crank lever, characterized as a whole 43, is rockingly mounted onthe fulcrum-shaft 16 of the ratchet-sector and it is supplied with aspring connected thereto and to the frame, which tends to rock it in acounterclockwise direction as the parts are viewed in Figs. 1, 3 and 4,one arm 44 of such bell-crank lever having a side projection or lug 45adapted selectively to co-operate with the adjacent, top 1narginalflange46 of the arm 17 (see Fig. 3) to preliminarily, rapidly raise the saddle18 substantially to loadcontacting elevation, or to bear on the edge offinger 39 (see Fig. 4) to operate cam 37 during the descent of the load,the other arm 46 of the bell-crank lever having its end pivotally joinedat 47 to an end of a rod 48, whose other end is threaded into aconnector 49, a locknut 51 being provided to prevent unintentionalloosening of the elements.

Such connector or joining member 49 has two ribs 52 and 53 on its underside, affording aligned hearings to slidingly accommodate an end portionof a companion, bent rod 54. the other end of which is hinged or pivotedat 55 to a bent handle 56 fulcrumed on the main operating-handle 24 at57, and projecting down below such handle, as is clearly illustrated.

That portion of rod 54 in the connector 49 has a cross-pin 58 extendedtherethrough and projecting therefrom, a coiled spring 59 encircling therod and bearing at its opposite ends against the pin and the bearing lug52, whereby the adjacent end face of the rod is normally kept pressedagainst an abutment or stop 61 forming part of the housing 49.

The appliance is operated practically as follows:

Assuming that the ack has been rolled into proper position to locate thesaddle or seat 18 correctly beneath the load, such as the axle of anautomobile, the operator, while holding the handle 24 at any convenientlocation, rocks the handle 56 down, as shown in Fig. 3, and, by sodoing, owing to the direct contact between the parts 54 and 61, thebell-crank lever arm 44 is positively swung upwardly, and its side pin45, by engagement with the under surface of the flange 46, swings thearm 17 upwardly quickly and easily, and, of course, at the same time,the saddle is elevated until it reaches the load, without resort to theslower ratchet and pawl. mechanism, which during this action is idle,the pawls uselessly or inefiectually riding over the ratchetsectorteeth.

As soon as the specified resulthas been accomplished, the workmanreleases handle 56, and, under the action of spring 40, he bellcranklever and the handle automatically return to their initial or neutralposition, as depicted in Fig. l, in which relation of the parts theappliance is ready, by the upward and downward pumping action on handle24,

to raise the saddle and load through the ratchet and pawl mechanism,step by step, in the ordinary way.

Such natural or ordinary position of the bell-crank lever and theauxiliary handle 56 is determined by the direction of pull of the spring40, its points of attachment to the bellcrank lever and to the framebeing such as tonaturally restore the parts to the locations presentedin Fig. 1.

.Vith the elements in this relation, the operator swings the handle 24up and down without gra. ,ping the handle 56, and the saddle and loadare raised by the powerful ratchet-and-pawl step-by-step device in theusual way.

When it is desired to lower the load, the

workman grasps the two handles 24 and 56 together, shown in Fig. 4, and.while they maintained in this relation, he rocks the handle 24 up anddown, and the load and saddle are allowed to descend step by step, thecam 37, during that action, being kept in proper relation to the twopawls by the engagement of the bell-crank arm 44 with the cam projection39.

. such operation, the spring 59 is maintained somewhat compressed, themovements of handle 24 permitting the bell-crank and the cam to shiftsuiiiciently, during the load-lowering operation, to allow the pawls tocorrectly perform their functions.

The invention, as defined by the following claims, is susceptible of avariety of embodiments in satisfactory form, and, therefore, it is notlimited or restricted to the details of structure herein presented.

Vi e claim:

1. In a jack, the combination of a frame, a relatively slow-acting butpowerful means on said frame to raise and lower the load, anoperating-handle fulcrumed on said frame to actuate said means, anauxiliary-handle fulcrumed on said operating-handle, and means worked bysaid auxiliary-handle to operate said first-mentioned means to rise tothe load comparatively quickly while its slow-acting elements are idleand to render said slow-acting means operative to enable saidoperatinghandle to lower the load.

2. In a ack, the combination of a frame, a ratchet-sector fulcrumed onsaid frame, a load-engaging saddle, means connecting said sector andsaddle whereby the rocking of the former will raise or lower the latter,an operating-handle fulcrumed on said frame, a spring-pressed liftingpawl fulcrumed on said handle and eo-operating with said sector, aspring-pressed holding pawl for said sector fulcrumed on said frame, acam hinged on said frame controlling the operation of said pawls. anauxiliary-handle fulcrumed on said ope 'ating-handle, a springpressedbellcrank lever fulcrumed on said frame and arranged to rock said sectorand to coact with said cam to render it active on said pawls, and adivided link connecting said auxiliaryhandle and said bell-crank leverincluding a connector between the link parts yieldably extensible in onedirection and forming a rigid connection between the link sections inthe other direction whereby said auxiliaryhandle when rocked in onedirection positively actuates said sector through said bellcrank leverto raise said saddle while the pawls are idle and when rocked in theother direction render said cam operative on said pawls during thedescent of the saddle and load, said auxiliary-handle when in its normalposition allowing said pawls to be operative to raise the saddle andload step by step.

3. In a jack, the combination of a frame, a ratchet-sector fulcrumed onsaid frame, a load-engaging saddle, means connecting said ratchet-sectorand saddle whereby the rocking of the former will raise or lower thelatter, an operating-handle fulcrumed on said frame, a lifting pawlco-operating with and adapted to rock said ratchet-sector and actuatedby said handle, a holding pawl for said ratchet-sector fulcrumed on saidframe, cam means on said frame controlling the operation of said pawls,an auxiliary-handle fulcrumed on said operating-handle, and meansoperated by said auxiliary-handle to raise said saddle initially quicklyand to co-operate with said cam means to render it operative on saidpawls during the lowering of the saddle and its load.

4. In a jack, the combination of a frame, a relatively slow-actingpowerful means on said frame to raise and lower the load, an operatinghandle therefor movably mounted on said frame, an auxiliary-handlemovably mounted on said operating-handle, and means worked by saidauxiliary-handle to opcrate said first mentioned means to rise to theload comparatively quickly while its slowacting elements are idle and torender said slow-acting means operative to enable said operating-handleto lower the load.

5. In a jack, the combination of a frame, an operating-handle movablymounted on said frame, a relatively slow-acting powerful means on saidframe actuated by said handle to raise the load,'an auxiliary-handlemovably mounted on said operating-handle, means to cause saidauxiliary-handle, when permitted to do so by the operator, to assumeautomatic-ally a normal position with relation to said operating-handlein which said powerful means is operative to raise the load slowly uponactuation of said operating-handle, means operated by saidauxiliary-handle when the latter is moved from said. nor mal position tocause said load-raising means to rise to the load quickly while itsslow-acting elements are functionally idle, and means operated by saidauxiliary-handle when the latter is moved otherwise from said normalposition to allow said operating-handle to lower the load gradually bysaid slow-acting means.

6. In a jack, the combination of a frame, an operating-handle fulcrumedon said frame, a relatively slow-acting powerful means on said frameactuated by said handle to raise the load including a load-engagingsaddle, an oscillatory sector fulcrumed on said frame and lifting andholding pawls co-acting with said sector, an auxiliary-handle fulcrumedon said operating-handle, means to cause said auxiliary-handle, whenpermitted to do so by the operator, to assume automatically a normalposition with relation to said operating-handle in which said pawls areoperative to raise said saddle step-bystep by said operating-handle,means operated by said auxiliary-handle when the latter is moved fromsaid normal position to cause said saddle to raise quickly initially toengage the load while said pawls are functionally idle, and a camactuated by said auxiliary-handle when shifted otherwise from saidnormal position to cooperate with said pawls to permit the step-by-stepdescent of the load upon actuation of said operatinghandle.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

GAILARD E. WEAVER. ALBERT J. VETTEL.

